Ame no Naka
by Aquarius Galuxy
Summary: [Vignette] Koto notes sound best in the midst of a light rain. KazuJuu fluff


Alright, I'm posting this a day early 'cause I won't be at home tomorrow morning. ;D  
On my side of things, the Common Tests we had to sit through have just finished. I don't think I fared all that well, but then I lost motivation for them midway. x-x  
The best thing that has happened to me so far was my discovery of Shuura no Gagdou, which is an AU drama-thing with the Getbackers characters in it, voiced by their Japanese voice actors. It can be found on Till Forever And A Day (a KazuJuu fanlisting), and gosh, it's hilarious. XD  
Anyway, here's another KazuJuu drabble! ;) Hope you enjoy it!  
As usual, Getbackers and the characters are not mine, and I am not making profit from this. ;D

**Ame** **no Naka  
By Aquarius Galuxy**

"_Can we return to that time again?"_

-O-

It all started with Emishi playing a simple melody on his new trumpet. Out of tune.

_The warbling notes reverberated off the brick-lined alleys of the Lower Town, startling people and animals within earshot. Crows flapped from the tops of buildings, their caws drowning out the trumpet's noise. _

_Kazuki stiffened and glanced at Juubei – Juubei himself revealed no expression of horror, though the slight turn of his head towards his closest friend proved otherwise. Then Emishi left, none the wiser, sidling down an alleyway to show his newfound skill off. _

_It was silent for a while; the remaining pair let their attention linger on their mutual friend until he rounded a corner, the din of his trumpet trailing after him like a lamenting troop of animals. _

_The Thread Master cast a mirthful gaze towards his protector, on the verge of speaking, when Juubei began a little pensively, "You know, Kazuki... I'd like to hear you play the Koto again."_

That was how they found themselves in Kazuki's Shinjuku apartment, sitting in the corner of the hall where his musical instrument rested on the polished wooden flooring. Six feet long and a foot wide, the koto was angled to face the rest of the room. It wasn't such that Juubei was right in front of it, however. Instead, the man had placed himself _beside_ Kazuki.

Not that his companion minded.

The Thread Master rested his fingers on the taut silken strings, a gentle, inaudible hum bringing the instrument to life. It had been a while since he'd played the koto, a traditional one that he'd sought hard to obtain, yet it still welcomed him with a quiet fervour. This, mingled with the presence of his closest friend next to him, urged the corners of his lips upwards.

He started to play, plucking at the strings with his thumb, index and middle finger. Mellow notes filled the air, a blend of crisp subtlety as they echoed the slightest bit, before the next note followed at a slow, almost regal, pace.

Sitting in a cross-legged position, back against the wall, Juubei let himself relax once he heard the familiar notes of _Rokudan no Shirabe_. Kazuki's fingers sped up imperceptibly, keeping to the rhythm of the melody. He exhaled.

Even now, when all his eyes could see was a yawning darkness, it was not so in his mind. Colours shimmered, shapes moved – his memories were fresh as the breeze on a spring day.

In his mind he could see Kazuki seated beside him, feet locked in the traditional _seiza_ position. His hair would be neatly bound, two locks on neither side of his face, gently swaying in the wind. The twin bells tinkled. There would be no creases on his forehead, just smooth skin he longed to touch. Faint floral scents carried towards his own nose, reassuring him that this was not a mere dream.

This wasn't the first time he'd been to the Thread Master's apartment since the IL incident – he could imagine the wispy warmth in the room to be radiating from the narrow slats of fading light, that crept past the window blinds, that reached towards Kazuki, but failed to touch him. Yet he was illuminated by them – not much, just enough so his features could be seen.

It reminded the needle-wielder of the times they'd shared in their childhood, where Kazuki sat behind the koto, practicing that same song over and over again. And Juubei almost knew the tune by heart. Almost.

"_Ne, Kazuki, what song is that?" Juubei had questioned, a scarce few moments after the last note had died down. "I've never heard it before."_

_It was but a mere week after they had met for the first time – the Kakei found him in the same side building, in the middle of a musical piece. He had been sent to warn his charge of the incoming rain, as well as to make sure he didn't catch a cold. Turned out that the younger boy had some sense to call his own._

"_It's titled _Rokudan no Shirabe. Hahaue _told me the ancient kings used to have it played in their chambers." Kazuki gave him a sincere smile, watching as Juubei lowered himself to the wooden floor, then sat with his legs crossed. _

"_Is that so?" he asked enthusiastically, barely aware of the way the sun's rays disappeared off the wood, only to be replaced by shadows and the light, steady patter of raindrops. "Could you play it again?"_

"_If you want me to," came the easy reply, as Kazuki lifted his hands off his kimono-clad lap, poising them above the thin strings of the koto once again._

_At his own pace, the Fuuchouin started to pluck at the taut silk, each note sailing into the mild cacophony of raindrops. But this made it all the more beautiful, Juubei thought, to have the elegant notes outshine the rest of their rivals._

A sudden scent of rain brought him out of his reverie – the needle-wielder shifted slightly. Kazuki was now in the middle of the melody; music notes came forth a little faster, yet still retaining their quiet charm.

Soft patters sounded from the window. If his eyes were open, Juubei would have blinked. He'd forgotten to listen out for rain, instead concentrating on the koto's melody. Yet one thing remained undisputable: Kazuki's playing sounded best when there was a light shower, because his music could emerge from the monotony, like the illuminating influence he had on Juubei's life.

Too soon the piece had drawn to a close. He could imagine his friend turning to smile at him, voice as clear and mellow as the koto's as he asked, "Well, how was that?"

"Your playing has always been beautiful, Kazuki." That was an honest answer, and he knew Kazuki had known he felt that way all along, too.

"Is that so?" The needle-wielder could hear the laughter in his friend's voice, followed by the sound of rustling cloth and flesh against wood. Was Kazuki getting to his feet? – no, it couldn't be. The soft thumps were so close... There was a gentle heat radiating against his cheek.

"You're beautiful too, Juubei." That mellow tone sounded next to his ear; warm breath caressed his skin. A shiver trailed down his spine unexpectedly. _Kazuki_ was so close... He waited to see if the man would explain himself. "Just that you're beautiful in a different way."

He could feel a light blush rising on his cheeks. The patter of raindrops had retreated into the hazy background; nothing seemed to matter, save for this intoxicating proximity that Kazuki had brought on. His heart quickened.

"Kazuki..." He wanted to form some semblance of a reply, but words left him bereft.

"Shh, you don't have to say anything, Juubei," the Thread Master murmured. "All you need to know is how I feel about you."

Louder heartbeats.

Of course he knew. This was something that had been born since childhood, and aside from the time he strayed, they had been close... closer than best friends, in truth. But where would they go from here?

Something moist and soft brushed his cheek. Almost immediately he realised what it was, heart clenching. Turning slightly towards Kazuki, the needle-wielder lifted his hand, following the neatly-bound lock of hair up to his best friend's cheek, tracing his jaw. He felt the man break into a smile.

Right then, he wanted nothing more than to see the expression on Kazuki's face.

-X-

A few terms to explain in this drabble:  
-_ame_ _no naka_: 'In (the middle of) the rain'  
-_rokudan_ _no shirabe_: This is an actual koto piece that used to be played in the presence of royalty.  
-_hahaue_: A formal term for 'mother'

With that done, how was the fic? Please tell me in the reviews! Thanks!


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